Device for removing jar screw caps



Aug. 4, 195.9 o. D. ANDERSON, JR 2,897,699

DEVICE FOR REMOVING JAR SCREW CAPS Filed Aug. 8, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y INVENTOR.

(cl/'17 flrzai rsolgfn Aug. 4, 1959 o. D. ANDERSON, JR 2,897,699

DEVICE FOR REMOVING JAR SCREW CAPS Filed Aug. 8, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 DEVICE FOR REMOVINGJAR SCREW CAPS 9 Oscar D. Anderson, In, Baltimore, Md.

Application August s, 1958, Serial No. 753,963 4 Claims. (Cl. 81-332) The present invention relates to a device for removing screw caps from jars.

":An object of the present inventionis to provide a unitary tool for mounting upon a wall surface for removing screw caps from jars, which tool is highly eflicient in action, economical to construct and assemble,

United States Patent 2,897,699 Patented Aug. 4, 195 9 16 at the free end of the latter remote from the trackway 10. Pivotally connected intermediate their ends to' the support, member 30 area pair of levers 32 and 34 having their one ends pivotally connected to a bar member 36 adjacent one end of the latter. The. other end of the lever 34 is pivotally connected to the stem 38 of a clamp segment 40. An intermediate portion of the lever 32 is also pivotally connected to the stem 38 adjacent the free end of the latter. An extension 42 is connected by a hinge 44 to the end of the lever 32 remote from the bar member 36 and a handle 46 is carried and one which lends itself to removing of screw caps from jars of various sizes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for removing screw caps from jarswhich is sturdy in construction, one simple in structure having few parts, and one which readily and easily receives and releases a jar from which the screw cap is to be removed.

' These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following de- 'scription when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the device of the present invention with the jar supported thereon, portions of'the jar and of the device being shown. in section;

' Figure 2 is a view taken on the line 2'-'-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view takenon the line 33 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

. Figure 6 is a view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1,

with the jar removed; and a "Figure 7 ,is an isometric viewof two of the components of the device of the present inventiom'shown in exploded form, a half-portion of one component being broken away. *Referring in greater detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the. several views, the device of the present invention consists in a backing member or trackway 10 arranged in an upstanding direction and secured by screws 12 to a vertical surface such as a wall of a residence above the floor level of the residence, the wall being shown in'Figures -l to 3 and designated by the reference numeral 1 j A shelf 16 projects from one side of the trackway 10 at the lower end of the latter and is fixedly secured to the trackway 10 by welding as at 18 in Figures 1 and 2. An L-shaped bracket 20 is arranged with its long leg positioned horizontally and its short leg below the long leg and'mounted within the trackway 10 for movement toward and away from the shelf 16. The long leg of the bracket 20 is designated by the reference numeral 22 and the short leg by the numeral 24. The long leg 22 is in superimposed spaced relation with respect to the shelf 16. A reinforcing web 26 extends between the long leg 22 and the short leg 24 and lends rigidity to the bracket 20. v

-A holding element, designatedgenerally by the reference numeral 28, is spaced above and adjacent the shelf 16' and is fixedly carried by the shelf 16. The holding element 28 consists in a horizontallydisposed support member 30 having 'one'end fixedlysecured to the shelf operatively connected to the crow g iar 68 for effecting on the extension 42 remote from the hinge 44.

A second clamping segment 48 is arranged in spaced face to face relation with respect to the clamping segment 40 and is connected to the end of the bar member 36 by means of a leg 50 formed integrally with the bar member 36. The confronting faces of the clamping segments 40 and 48 are covered with a resilient gripping element 52 for grippingly engaging therebetween the lower end portion of a jar 54. Y

The jar 54 is arranged in an upright position and carries on its upper end a threaded screw cap 56.

e The portion of the leg 22 of the bracket 20 remote from the leg 24 is provided with a pair of upstanding spaced trunnions 58 and 60 in which is mounted the horizontally disposed portion 62 of a crank member 64. A pinion 66 is carried upon the crank portion 62 outwardly of the trunnion 58 and is in mesh with theteeth of a crown gear 68 which is horizontally disposed and inverted.

. The crown gear 68 is keyed as at 71 to the upper end portion of a vertically disposed shaft which has its portion adjacent the lower end journaled in the bottom of a depressed cup 72.formed inthe leg 22 of the bracket 20. I The portion of the shaft 70 below the cup 72 extends through a hole 74 provided in an inverted channel-shaped housing 76 intermediate the ends of the latter. A pair of opposed jaws 78 and 80 are carried on the bights of a pair of horizontally disposed U-shaped elements 82 and 84, respectively, which are provided on one leg of each with opposed rack teeth 86 and 88 arranged in facing relation. The legs of the elements 82 and'84 are; a'r-I ranged between the sides of the housing 76 andar'e slidable therein toward and away from each other responsive to the rotation of a pinion 90 fixedly carried on the lower end portion of the shaft 70. 4 j i 'A pinion is formed on the end of shaft 70 which is located in housing 76. Between the upper face of the pinion 90 and the inner and'lower face of the housing I 76 is a collar 92 frictionally engaging both the pinion 90 and the housing 76. A vertically disposed coil spring 94-is positioned between the inverted crown gear 68 and the bracket 20 and has its lower end bearing upon and frictionally engaging the washer 96 seated in the cup 72. The upper end of the spring 94 bears against another washer 98' frictionally engaging the lower face of the crown gear 68. The spring 94 is circumpo s'ed about the shaft'70and urges the crown gear andsh'aft upwardly so that the upper/face of the housing 76 in the area adjacent the shaft 70" bears against and frictionally engages the underface' of the bottom of the cup 72. The spring 94, Washers 96"and 98, and the ad jacent portion of the underfa'ce of the 'crown g'ear68 constitutes means operatively connected to the shaft 70 for urging the housing 76 into'braking'contact with the bracket 20.

-f The pinion 90 constitutes means dr'ivingly connecting the shaft 70 to the movable jaws 78 and 80.

Drive means is provided by' the present inven the rotation of the crown gear 68. Thismeans conisti in the pinion 66; crank portion 62, crank member 64,

and a handle 100 on the crank member 64 at the end remote from the portion 62.

Means is provided supporting the .crown gear 6 8 against tilting movement relative to the bracket 20; This means eonsistsin a third trunnion ltlksupporting a stub shaft 104' on which is freely rotatable a roller 1'06 having the upper portion of its periphery in rolling engagementiwith thdunderface ofthe crown gear 68; The trunnion 102 is carried upon the leg 22 of the bracket 20 intermediate theconnection of the leg 24 with the leg 22 and the cup 72. V

- The handle 100 on the crank member 64 constitutes hand actuable means operatively connected to the pinion 66" for rotating the latter in effecting the rotation of the crown gear 68; 3

The sliding upward and downward movement of the leg 24 of thebracket 20' within the trackway enables the. user of the device of the present invention to shift the jaws 78 and; 80' to a level for embracing the screw cap 56 of the jar 54.

4 In use, the device of the present invention maybe employed to quickly and easily remove screw caps from jars of any height and of all common diameters. 'lfhe jaws 78 and 80" move rapidly into gripping engagement with the cap 56 upon initiation of rotation of the crown gear 68 responsive to turning of'the crank member 64.

An important feature of the present invention is the frictional engagement of the housing 76 with the bottom of the cup '72-which yieldably restrains rotation of the housing76 until the jaws 78 and 80 are in gripping en- 'gagement with the cap 56. This restraint of the rotation of the housing 76' is accomplished without gripping the housing manually, which has heretofore been necessary in screw cap removing devices presently in use.. Further, this restraining rotation of the housing 76 works to release the jaws 78 and 80 upon reverse rotation of the crown gear 68 when it is desired to lift the cap 56' from the jar 54.

In operatiomthe jar 54, with. the screw cap 56 on the upper end, is positioned in the space between the shelf-1 6 and the jaws78 and 80 with the jaws 78 and 80'loosely receiving the cap 56. The handle 100 is next grasped by the fingers of one hand of the. user and the crank, member 64 is rotated. The turning ofthe crank member 64 results in rotation of the crown gear 68 which shifts the. jaws 78 and 80 into bridging engagement with the cap 56. At the same time, the other hand of'the user grips the handle46'andshifts the lever 32' from the dotted line position, Figure 2, to the full line position, effecting the movement of" the clamp elements 40 and'48 together into frictional engagement with the lower end portion of the jaw 54. Upon further rotation ofthe crank member 64, the housing 76 is caused to rotate, with the jaws 78 and 80 in tight frictional engagement with the cap 56 and the cap 56 rotates relative to the jar 54, unscrewing the cap 56 from the jaw 54.

What is claimed is:

1'. A device for removing screw caps from jars comprising an upstanding. backing member adapted to be abuttingly secured to a vertical surface above a floor level, a shelf projecting from one side of and carried by said backing membenabracket arranged in superimf posedrelation with respect to said shelfand carried by said backing member, a holding element adapted to. em bracethe. lower end portion of a jar arranged in an upright position spaced above and adjacent said shelf and fixedly carried by said]. shelf, a vertically disposed shaft having the portion adjacent the lower end journaled in said bracket, a rotatable horizontally disposed gear spaced above said bracket andcarried bythe portion of said shaft adjacent the upper end, a housing including a pair of opposed jawsmovable toward and away from eachotherpositioned at, alevel abovesaid holding. ele:

meat to embrace a screw cap of a screw-capped jar when supported in said holding element, said housing being connected to said shaft for rotation therearo und as an axis, means drivingly connecting said shaft to said movable jaws, means operatively connected to said shaft for for urging said housing into braking contact with said bracket, and drive means operatively connected to said gear for effecting the rotation of the latter.

2. A. device for removing screw caps from jars comprising an upstanding backing member adapted to be abuttingly securedto a vertical surface above a floor level, a shelf projecting from one side of. and carried by said backing member, a bracket arranged in superimposed relation with respect. to said shelf and carried by said backing member, a holding element adapted to embrace the lower end portion of a jar arranged in an upright position spaced above and adjacent said shelf and fixedly carried by. said shelf, a vertically disposed shaft having the portion adjacent the lower endjournaled in. .said

bracket, a rotatable horizontally disposed gear, spaced above said. bracket and, carried by the portion of said shaft adjacent the upper end, a housing including a pair of. opposed jaws movable toward and away from each other positioned atalevel above said. holding element to embrace a screw cap of' a. screw-capped jar when supportedin said holding element, said housing being connected to'saidshaft. for rotation therearo und'as an axis, means drivingly connecting said shaft to said movable jaws,, means embodying a coil spring operatively connected to said shaft for urging said housing into brake ing contact with said bracket, and drive means opera: tively connected tosaid. gear foretfecting the rotation of the; latter. I

3. Adevice. for removing screw caps. from. jars com: prising an upstanding backing member. adapted to. be. abuttingly; secured to a vertical surface. above a. floor level, a. shelf projecting from one side of and carried by. said backingmember, a bracket arranged insuper: imposed relation with respect to said shelf and connected to said backing member. for. movement. toward and. away from, saidshelf, aholdingelement adapted to embrace thelower end portion of. a jar. arranged in an upright position spaced above;and adjacentsaid shelf and fixedly carriedby said shelf-, a vertically disposed shaftv having the portion adjacent the lower end journaled in said bracket, a. rotatable horizontally disposed gear spaced above: said bracket. and; carried. by the portion of said shaft adjacent the upper end,,a..housing including a pair of opposed jaws movable toward and away fromreacli other positioned at a level above. said holding element to. embrace a screw cap of a screw-capped jar. when sup-e ported,in..said holding; element, said; housing beingcon: nectedtosaid; shaft. for rotationtherearound as anaxis; meansidrivingly connecting said shaft to saidmovable jaws, means. operatively connected to saidshaftfor urg; ing said housing-into. braking contact with. said bracket, and drive means operatively connectedto saidgear for effectingthe rotation of. the; latter.

4. A. device for removing screw-capsfrom jars.com-. prising an upstanding backing member adapted to be abnttingly secured to a vertical surface above. a floor level, a; shelf projecting, fromone side. of and carried by, saidflbacking -member,.a bracket arranged insuper-I imposedurelation with respect to. said shelf and carried by saidbackingmember, a. holding element adapted. to embrace thelowerend portion of a jararrangedin: an upright positionspaced above the adjacent saidshelf and fixedly carried-by said shelf, a, vertically disposed shaft having-the portion adjacent the lower end journaled in said bracket, a rotatable horizontally disposed gear spaced above said bracket andcarried by the portion of said shaft adjacentthe upper: end, a housingincluding a pair of. opposed jaws movable .towardand away: from. each other positionedat alevelabove said holding element to em race. a. screw cancfia sc pp i h n-S 12.-

bor ted in said holding element, said housing being connected to said shaft for rotation therearound as an axis, means drivingly connecting said shaft to said movable jaws, means operatively connected to said shaft for urging said housing into braking contact with said bracket, drive means operatively connected to said gear for effecting the rotation of the latter, and hand actuable means operatively connected to said drive means for operating said drive means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Howard Jan. 11, 1921 Crosby Dec. 19, 1922 Edlund Jan. 17, 1933 Richel June 13, 1939 

